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"Trish" cancellation results in 32 layoffs

Trisha Goddard poses for a photo on the set of her new show, "Trisha," at the Stamford Media Center on Thursday, July 26, 2012.

Trisha Goddard poses for a photo on the set of her new show, "Trisha," at the Stamford Media Center on Thursday, July 26, 2012.

Photo: Lindsay Niegelberg

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LONDON - OCTOBER 25: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK TABLOID NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 48 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Presenter Trisha Goddard arrives at the National Television Awards 2005 at the Royal Albert Hall on October 25, 2005 in London, England. (Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images) less

LONDON - OCTOBER 25: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK TABLOID NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 48 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Presenter Trisha Goddard arrives at the National Television Awards 2005 at the Royal Albert ... more

Photo: Getty Images

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Talk show host Trisha Goddard helps carry gifts to a truck waiting outside the Stamford Media Center on Thursday, December 13, 2012. The gifts are for Inspirica's 2012 holiday gift collection, which the organization estimates will provide gifts to more than 2,600 children in Fairfield County. less

Talk show host Trisha Goddard helps carry gifts to a truck waiting outside the Stamford Media Center on Thursday, December 13, 2012. The gifts are for Inspirica's 2012 holiday gift collection, which the ... more

Photo: Niegelberg

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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 05: TV presenter Trisha Goddard walks the runway for the Breast Cancer Care's London fashion show at the Grosvenor House Hotel on October 5, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Tim Whitby/Getty Images for Breast Cancer Care) less

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 05: TV presenter Trisha Goddard walks the runway for the Breast Cancer Care's London fashion show at the Grosvenor House Hotel on October 5, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Tim ... more

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Talk show host Trisha Goddard helps carry gifts to a truck waiting outside the Stamford Media Center on Thursday, December 13, 2012. The gifts are for Inspirica's 2012 holiday gift collection, which the organization estimates will provide gifts to more than 2,600 children in Fairfield County. less

Talk show host Trisha Goddard helps carry gifts to a truck waiting outside the Stamford Media Center on Thursday, December 13, 2012. The gifts are for Inspirica's 2012 holiday gift collection, which the ... more

British television presenter Trisha Goddard arrives at the "Pride of Britain" awards at the London Studios in London 11 October 2007. AFP PHOTO / Edmond Terakopian (Photo credit should read EDMOND TERAKOPIAN/AFP/Getty Images) less

British television presenter Trisha Goddard arrives at the "Pride of Britain" awards at the London Studios in London 11 October 2007. AFP PHOTO / Edmond Terakopian (Photo credit should read EDMOND ... more

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

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LONDON - OCTOBER 31: Trisha Goddard arrives for the National Television Awards at the Royal Albert Hall on 31 October 2007 in London England. (Photo by Eamonn McCormack/Wireimage)

LONDON - OCTOBER 31: Trisha Goddard arrives for the National Television Awards at the Royal Albert Hall on 31 October 2007 in London England. (Photo by Eamonn McCormack/Wireimage)

Photo: WireImage

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"Trish" cancellation results in 32 layoffs

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Low ratings are a death sentence for television shows, and a program produced at NBCUniversal's Stamford studio can now be added to the list of those that have quietly expired.

The cancellation this month of the "Trisha" show, produced in Stamford by NBCUniversal, has resulted in the loss of 32 jobs, according to the company.

"NBCU is providing ongoing transition support services to these employees, including providing access to current open positions within the NBC family," said NBCUniversal in a statement. "NBCU will continue to employ approximately 270 people in Stamford and will continue its contributions to the local economy and community."

Introduced to viewers in September 2012, the talk show featuring Trisha Goddard lasted two seasons and never caught on with viewers like the "Jerry Springer" and "Steve Wilkos" shows, both produced in Stamford.

"I don't think it will have a significant ripple effect or a true negative impact," Condlin said, adding the NBCUniversal remains a strong player in the Stamford economy. "I'm disappointed that it ("Trisha") didn't do well in the ratings, but I don't think it's a reflection on NBCUniversal in Stamford. TV programs, like restaurants, come and go."

The one-hour show only averaged a 0.6 household rating, or about 762,000 viewers a day, through early April, despite the reputation Goddard established in the United Kingdom as a talk show host between 1998 and 2010, often focusing on conflict resolution.

A spokesperson for NBCUniversal was unavailable for comment, but in its statement the studio said, "Trisha is a great talent and we recognize and are grateful for all of the hard work that Trisha and the production staff have put in to the show for the past two seasons."

When the show was announced in February of 2012, NBCUniversal said it was expected to add about 50 new jobs to its staff in Stamford.

"Daytime viewers are flooded with options. Oprah came along when networks still dominated," he said, adding that "Trisha" viewership was too small. "For a national program, 762,000 is not even a blip on the radar."

Even a daytime talk show hosted by even Katie Couric, who made a name for herself as a morning show host and evening news commentator, is struggling, Durbin said.

"Jerry Springer started 25 or 30 years ago. He's created a cottage industry out of this (confrontational talk show). Springer has shown that he's not going anywhere," he said. "NBCUniversal is trying to develop new platforms. They're going to have to evolve online and on social media to generate more of an audience. They have to come up with a new personality."

But the arrival of NBC Universal and NBC Sports, a short distance to the east on Blachley Road, has positively impacted Stamford's economy and the city's prominence on the national and international stage, Condlin said, noting that the city's importance as a media center was clearly identifiable through NBC Sports' Winter Olympics coverage.